Improvement in paper-bag machines



5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. P. RAYMOND. PAPER BAG MACHINE.

' Patented May 8,1877.

' 5 SheetsSheet2. I. P. RAYMOND. PAPER BAG MACHINE.

Patented May 8,1877.

0 a m 1 e m u w w H n P M G o u w m n P u 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. P. RAYMOND. PAPER BAG MACHINE.

Patented May 8,1877.

HER, WASHIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

I. P. RAYMOND.

PAPER BAG MACHINE.

Patented May 8,1877.

5Sheets'-Sheet5. J. P. RAYMOND. PAPER BAG MACHINE.

Patented May 8,1877.

wumm/ 7 MHz r535. FHOTDUTMOGRAPHER. WASI'HNGTBIX. D D.-

UNITED STATES JAMES P. RAYMOND, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER-BAG MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 190,65 5, dated May 8,1877; applicatioi filed December 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES P. RAYMOND, of Uincinnati, Hamilton county,and State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Paper-Bag Machines,of which the-following is a specification:

My invention relates to a class of paperbag machines in which the blankto be operated upon is carried, by a traveling-belt, entirely throughthe machine and all its operations.

The principal element of my invention, which relates more especially tomachines employed in the manufacture of satchel-bottom paper bags,consists of a griper chain or belt, adapted to seizethe blanks by meansof its nippers, and draw it forcibly through the machine, during whichpassage the blank may be subjected to any one or to all of theoperations which the blank has to undergo to convert it into a bag.

The other elements may be briefly enumerated as follows: A table, orequivalent supporting means, for supporting the blank at the pointswhere it is subjected to pressure pasting devices for applying paste tothe blank at the proper points; means for folding the side laps for thebottom of the bags; rollers for pressing the bottom flaps of the bagafter they have been pasted and folded a clamping device for holding theblank until taken by the griper belt or chain.

My invention consists of certain combinations of these elements, asspecifically pointed out by the claims at the conclusion of thisspecification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation ofmy improved machine, showing the frame partly in section. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the pasting device. Fig. .3 is a perspective view,showing the style of adjustable bearing used for the pasting-roll shaft.Fig. 4 is a plan view, showing the devices which act to open thenippers, and relieve the bag when finished. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofgear-wheel and section of chain and nipper post or frame. Fig. 6 is asection of chain, showing the nipper and frame. Fig. 7 is a plan view ofthe devices which operate the nippers at the front end of the machine.Fig. 8 is a diagram, showing action of nippers and tripping-lever, andthe path of the bag when fed to the nippers. Fig. 9 is a perspectiveview, showing the lower and adjustable step for the gearshaft, by whichthe nipper belt or chain may be tightened. Fig. 10 is an elevation ofpressure-roller, showing cross-section of table and frame. Fig. 11 is adiagram, showing the operating-cams and feed-plate, also the manner inwhich the nipper takes hold of the bag. Fig. 12 is an elevation offeed-plate and operating-cams, showing the table in cross-section. Fig.13 is a sectional view, showing one manner in which the cams can besecured to the gear-wheel. Fig. 14 is a plan view of the end of themachine at which the bag leaves it, showing delivering-rolls andadjustable frame, &c. Fig. 15 is a sectional elevation, showing springpresser-foot, for properly guiding the bag-blank, and the presserplatefor holding down the flaps of the bottom.

' A is the frame of the machine, fitted with an upper table, a, slottedthrough the center its entire length, and a lower table, a, whichextends only about half the width of the ma chine, and is suitablysupported to sustain the weight of the traveling-belt or chain B, andits motive attachments. The chain B is made up of a series of verticalframe-posts, 0, whose lower ends are provided with suitable casters 1),calculated to travel in guideways on the table a, upon which posts areswung the nipper-frames D, that connect one with another at the flangesat near the top, and the flanges d near the bottom, by means of a doublesystem of chains, E; and these parts, in connection with the nippers F,which are attached adjustably by means of set-screws to the upper endsof posts 0, and the coiled springs G, which are wrapped around with oneend secured to the posts, and the other to the frame D, thereby causinga strain between them, which will cause the said nippers to forcibly hugthe surface of the frames D, constitute the nipper-chain, as seen inelevation in Fig. 1, with the addition of a tripping-lever, 0, havingadjustable friction-roller c. As seen in Fig. 7, there are formed uponthe table a. guideways 0r tracks a for the casters b of the posts 0 totravel in, which tracks are duplicated on the under side of I fittedwith slot l and lug l table a, at a, for the tops of the posts to travelin. (See Fig. 1.)

The above-described belt is extended between two sets of gear-wheelssecured upon upright shafts H I, having suitable ste'ppings upon tablea, and bearing on the under side of table a. The set of gear-wheelsmarked J J are secured upon the shafts H I, respectively, near the upperend, and exactly in line with the flangesdof the frames D, so that theymay engage with the upper lineeofchain E, attaehed to said flanges. Theset of gear-wheels marked K K are secured upon the shafts H I,respectively, near the lower end, and exactly in line with the flanges dof the frames D, so that they may engage with the lower line 6 of chainE, attached to said flanges.

One of the shafts, say I, is stepped in a box, L. (Shown in perspectivein Fig. 9.) This box L is formed upon a slotted plate, I,

When the plate lis secured upon table a, by means of bolt and nut,through slot 1, it can be adjusted back and forth by means of set-screwM in the stationary lug m, working upon lug Z. By this means the shaft Ican be moved to tighten the belt B, which, being of metal, will requirebut slight movement of the bearing-box L. From the fact that the flangesd d of the nipper-frame D will have to pass around the periphery of thegear-wheels when the belt B is in motion, and they being of greaterlength and thickness than the pins 6 of chain E, and not able to enterbetween the teeth of the wheel, I provide recesses j j in the wheels JJ, by cutting away a suitable number of teeth to a sufficient depth,into which these flanges may engage. In the present instance, thecircumference of the gearwheels passes an extent equal to the uniteddistance between the centers of three consecutive nipper-posts, andconsequently are provided with two of the above recesses exactlyopposite each other. The gear-wheels K K are provided, as above, withsimilar recesses k k, for the accommodation of the flanges d. The shaftI is projected up beyond the table a, and fitted with a drum, N, havingteeth near its top to engage with the teeth of drum N on the oppositeside of the slot in the table. The shaft I (see Fig. 14) is alsoprovided with bevel-gear wheel 2', to engage with wheel 10 of thehorizontal shaft P, which latter connects, by bevel-gear, directly withthe shaft P, running along the machine from end to end. The shaft P isprovided with customary loose and tight pulleys, for applying powerintermittently, and is the means of power for the entire machine.

The bag, in being formed, is drawn along the slot in the table a by thenippers F, and it is obvious that there must be some means of openingand closing them, to take hold of and release the bag, at thecommencement and ending of the operation.

To accomplish this, I first secure upon the stepping-box h of shaft H.around said shaft, a cam-plate, Q, in such position (see Fig. 7) and ofsuch construction that the rollers c of tripping-arm a, when the post 0and nipper-frame D are passing on toward and around the gear-wheels J K,will strike it and cause the arm to move backward, as indicated bydotted line 0 Fig. 7. while the nipper will move accordingly, and retainthis position until the nipper post (J has passed to the position shownin Fig. 8, after which a continuation of the movement will cause theroller 0 to pass the utmost limit of the cam Q and swing around to itsnormal position, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 7 and 8, carrying thenipper with it until the nipper hugs the surface of frame D; and toregulate the time of the closing of the nip pers, I provide a slottedplate, Q, which can be secured to the cam Q adjustably by means ofset-screws, so as to lessen or increase the extent of the cam at thepoint where the tripping-arm leaves it. Now, to provide for the openingof the nippers at the other end of the table, aft-er the bag has passedall the operations and is ready to be released from the nippers, Iprovide acam-plate, R, secured upon a plate, which I attach to thestepping-box L around shaft I, and which is so placed and constructedthat it will, at the right moment, change the path of the roller 0 oftrippingarm a to such an extent that the nipper F will be sufficientlythrown back to allow of the free disengagement with the bag beingformed. Any of the nippers F not wanted for use may be prevented fromoperating by simply adjusting the tripping-lever 0 upon post U, so thatit will not engage with above-mentioned cams. In Fig. 11 is shown, inplan, a feed-plate. S, which is fitted to slide in the under part oftable a back and forth from the slot shown by dotted lines, by means ofspring 8 pressing against the shank, which supports a friction-roller,s. As seen ,in' Fig. 12, the feed-plate S, by means of springs, is keptpositively away from the slot in the table (1, except when forced to itby cams T T revolving with wheel J; and, when thus pressed, it restsagainst the edge of the opposite part of table a, and would catch andgripe anything placed in the slot at this point of the table. In Figs.l1 and 12 the feed-plate is shown as griping a bag which hangs mouthdownward in the slot, while the diamond fold lies upon table a. Thediagram in Fig. 11 shows how the feed-plate holds the bag until thenipper F is ready to grasp it and carry it ofl".

The cams T T are so adjusted upon wheel J that they will release thefeed-plate at the instant that the nipper F takes hold. The said camsact directly upon friction-roller s, secured by a shank to thefeed-plate S to move the feed-plate forward in the act of griping. Thecams T T are either formed upon a plate, t, as shown in Figs. 11 and'12,and secured by set-screws to the wheel J. or else, as shown in Fig. 13,secured directly tothe wheel J.

It is obvious that the feed-plateSis required to make or perform oneoperation for each nipper in operation; and, consequently, as each cam Tor T causes the plate S to perform one of these operations, it is' plainthat the number of cams must equal the number of nippers in operation,which pass around wheel J in a single revolution.

The number of nippers in operation can be governed by the adjustablecharacter of the tripping-arms c, as before described. I have thus fardescribed the mechanism mostly beneath table a, for carrying the bagthrough the several operations of the machine. The bag, when firstintroduced to the machine, is a flattened tube, one of the ends of whichis spread out in what is called a diamond fold. The bag thus folded isintroduced to the machine with the diamond fold spread out upon theupper surface of table a, and the flattened tube extending down throughthe slot in the table. The feed plate-and nippers operate upon the tubeto carry rhe bag through. Secured .upon the table a, at the forward partof the machine, are frames U, which support a paste-distributing roll,V, and revolving paster W. The paste-roll V revolves in a pastevat, '0,which is elevated sufficiently above the table a to allow the bag topass, and the position of the roll V upon frame U can be raised oradjusted by means of adjustable box o. The paste-box rests on or issecured to a pivoted plate, Z, provided with rails z at the bottom oneither side, so as to keep it a little elevated above the table, andsomewhat more so at the front end than at the rear end. At the front endthis plate is curved up, as best seen in Fig. 15. It acts as apressure-plate, to hold down the bottom flaps or diamond fold of the bagblank. To cause this roll to convey an even and moderate amount of pastefrom vat '0, I provide scraper 12 having springfeed 19, con trolled byset-screw c in frame a The roller V is set in motion by a cross-beltfrom a pulley upon the shaft of pressure roll or rolls X, which latterconnects directly with shaft 1?, by means of suitable bevel-gear, insuch a manner as to feed, between it and the table a, in the directionof operation taken by the belt B, which also connects with shaft 1?, asbefore described.

The pasting device W is secured in box w on frame U in suitable boxingw, the position of which is regulated by means of thumb-screw 10 fromunderneath. I

The revolving paster W is run in the same direction as roller X, bymeans of gear-connection from the shaft 1., and in its revolution comesin contact with periphery of roller V, which runs or rolls with it, byreason of cross-belt from shaft of rolls X, and supplies it with pastefrom the vat. The wing or wings to of pastor W, having pastingfisurfacesw, which are arcs of a circle, revolve so as to hardly touch the surfaceof table a, but, as shown in Fig. 2, press against a couple of rubberrollers, 10", situated in the table a on each side of the slot therein.These rollers may be, however, made elastic, by means other than rubber.For instance, a coiledspring roller may be used, as the function of therollers is to keep the leaves of the diamond fold of the bag closeagainst the paster, and, should there be by accident no bag passing, tocatch the paste from the paster, and thus obviate the smearing of thetable with paste were the roller not used. The action of the paster istimed with the passage of the nippers F under it, carrying a bag-blank,and applies the paste to the diamond fold in a regular form. In thepresent instance, however, when every nipper is used to carry a bag, thepaster has two wings, W, to catch the bags carried by two nippers pastit while making one revolution, and if every other nipper only were usedto carry bags it would be necessary only to use a pastel having but onewing, w". In front of the rolls X are secured adjustably twofolding-plates, .1: m, which fold out of time, so as to lay one edge ofthe diamond fold over the other in completing the bottom of the bag.

Secured to frame :0 are spring-fingers 00 which keep the bag in positionagainst table a while the edges are being turned up and over by platesas .70 as the nipper-chain B draws the bag along. After the bag haspassed the folders above described, it passes under the roll or rolls X,which serve to press the folded edges of the bag closely back onthemselves, in completing the bottom, and, at the same time, by reasonof recess or groove m in the periphery of said roll or rolls, provideagainst the extreme pressure upon the bottom, where the turned-downedges overlap each other, forming an increase of thickness, that wouldforce the paste from between the folds, and destroy the perfectmanufacture of the bag.

Immediately following the above-mentioned rolls, and secured slightlyabove and in the direction of the slot in the table a, extending as faras the upright delivering-drums N N, is a plate or guide, 0, whichserves to keep the bottom of the bag upon the table a while thepacking-fold is being formed by folding-plates 0 0 preparatory to thebag entering the grasp of delivery-rolls N N. The shaft of rolls X restsin adjustable bearings, like to that shown in Fig. 3, so that the amountof pressure to be applied to the bottom of the passing bag can beregulated according to the thickness of the material used. The bearingor box 0 which receives the upper part of the shaft 1, is adjustablysecured upon table a in a manner similar to that in which the box L issecured upon table a, so as to be able to with it in accuratelystraining the belt B.

The operations to which the bag is subjected in the above-describedmachine are as follows:

The bag, as before described, is introduced to the feed-plate of themachine with the first or diamond fold of the bottom spread out upontable a, and the flattened tube extending downward in the slot of saidtable. From this position it is caught and drawn by nipper-chain B, asdescribed, along the slot of the table, passing spring presser-finger 0which prevents buckling, and the diamond fold, held down by thepresser-plate Z to near the point where it is to be pasted, onprogressing receives the paste from paster W, after which it passesunder fingers x and the edges of the fold are turned over by folders x00 and pressed by rolls X; thence the bag passes under plate 0, beingcarried by chain B, and is folded up against it by means of folders 0 0The bag then enters the grasp of deliv ry-drums N N, where thepackingfold is pressed to a permanent form, and delivered from themachine in a condition ready for packing.

It must, however, be understood that the said delivery-drums have nottheir entire hold upon the bag in delivering it, for the tripping-cam Ris so constructed and situated that it will not loosen the hold of thenipper F upon the bag until the latter has passed almost,it notentirely, through the grasp of the drums, and it is evident that the bagwill take a circular course as the nipper passes around gears J K.

I have illustrated and described my invention as applied to a machinefor making satchel-bottom paper bags, such as described 1n my UnitedStates Letters Patent, No. 145,125, the principal change being thesubstitution of the griper belt or chain for the two smooth endlessfeed-belts there used.

A machine organised as shown in that patent requires a slotted table, byreason of the vertical disposition of the teed belt or chain, and itsarrangement under the table. I desire it to be distinctly understood,however, that my invention is not limited to this speclal arrangement ofthe griper belt or chain with reference to the table or other supportingmeans, and the pasting, folding, and pressg mechanisms. And I would haveit especially understood that I do not confine myself to the use of aslotted table, because, under a different disposition of thegriper-chain, the slotted feature might readily be dispensed with; and,besides, equivalent supporting devices might readily be substituted forthe table.

It may be proper to state at this point that the use of an endless beltfor feeding blanks in a paper-bag machine has heretofore been proposed;but in that case the belt was arranged to push the blank along, a methodof feeding which would be wholly impracticable in a machine of thecharacter described by me.

The belt did not possess the characteristics of a griper-belt, whichdraws the blank after it, nor was it combined in a way at all equivalentto that hereinbet'ore set forth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In a machine for making paper bags, the combination,substantially as specified, of the griper-belt for feeding the blank,and the table, or its equivalent, for supporting the blank whileoperated upon.

2. The combination, in a machine for making satchel-bottom bags, of thegriper belt or chain, and the pasting devices, operating substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a machine for making satchel-bottom bags, of thegriper-chain or griper-belt for carrying the blank tube, and the foldingmechanism for folding the side laps for the bottom of the bag,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, in a machine for making satchel-bottom bags, of thegriper-chain or griper-belt for grasping and feeding the blank, and thepressure-roller for pressing the bottom flaps of the bag after they havebeen fastened and folded.

5. The combination, in a machine for making satchel-bottom bags, of thegriper-chain or griper-belt for carrying the blank through the machine,and the folders, by which the bottom flaps, after pasting, folding, andpressing, are folded together for passage through the dischargerollers.

6. The combination, substantially as specified, of the slotted table andthe reciprocating plate, for confining and holding the blank untilgriped by a nipper on the endless feedbelt.

7. The combination, substantially as specified, of the paster, thetable, and the yielding pressure-rollers, located in transverse slots inthe table.

8. The combination, substantially as specified, of the drums fordischarging the completed bag, the nipper, and the cam for opening thenipper.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JAMES P. RAYMOND.

Witnesses:

BENJ. SEBASTIAN, Jr., W. MAFFETT.

